Sephiroth: The Chronicles
by Travithian Axile
Summary: COMPLETE! They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis. Last one up, guess who?
1. Zack

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, locations and so on and so forth. So don't sue me, okay?

Summary: They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis.

A Word from the Author: I've been thinking about writing a little story about Sephiroth's past, especially after one of my reviewers in a side story said that it was nice to have a glimpse into the General's past. This story will be different from the rather unlikely TIAL fic and will be more serious. It will probably be a bit AU since I have to make some assumptions about his character and who he talked to. Though about him, I've decided to write it from the point of view of those he was closest to. Enjoy.

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Sephiroth: The Chronicles

Zack.

I make really unlikely friends. The downtrodden, the plain weird and the shy, those who just don't care and those who are too anti-social. It's my nature; I'm really friendly and some say I talk too much. Somehow, though I'm usually popular because of what I like to believe is my wit and devastating charm (smirks) I also like to hang out with the dregs of society. Call it compassion or a chance to exercise my big mouth; I don't really know myself.

And the one that wins the big gold star for major strange-o vibes is none other than the General himself, my direct superior.

I call myself his friend; he calls me his comrade. Yeah, yeah, whatever he says. But I do know he talks more to me than any other SOLDIER First-Class in the army. Maybe it's because I made the effort and I suspect he appreciates it in his own weird unappreciative, lofty way. Sometimes even I run out of things to say (because, face it, what can you say to a guy who doesn't speak ten words on average a day?) but the silence that falls is pretty much comfortable. When it boils down to it, we're just two regular army guys.

Of course, he gets irritated with me too. Mostly it's when it's midnight and his nose is practically buried in mountains of requisition forms and whatnot, I perform my self-appointed job by bugging him to loosen up more and go out for a drink. Once he was so angry that he nearly set the office on fire and gave the inglorious duty of digging crap holes to me for a week. But it was worth it to see him lose that 'Oh-I-don't-feel-anything-crap' mask, even for a little while. Besides, on those times I do manage to persuade him to leave his Generalship in the office for a while to have fun, the feeling of satisfaction is pretty much glowing inside me. Sheesh, I sounded so sentimental there for a moment. As though my personal mission was to save people from themselves.

Then there are times when I take matters into my own hands. Once I made the rash decision that Sephiroth needed a woman. After all, after Aeris I definitely changed for the better. So I secretly added his telephone number and profile to a dating agency and after countless calls flooded his office, he finally figured out my so-called wonderful plan. First, he changed his number. Secondly, he handed me a rag and grease and told me to polish all of the medals in the display room. It took me hours and I couldn't hold my sword straight for two days after the incident. Definitely one of my less intelligent schemes in Operation Prove-Sephiroth-is-human-or-make-him-one.

I've always wondered about that, to tell the truth. The rumors are rampant; that Sephiroth had received a higher dose of Mako than any of us, that he had been bred in Hojo's lab like a lab rat. Not to mention that strange, prematurely white hair, his unnatural speed and strength, the Masamune only he could wield, the healing ability. Hs cruelty, ruthlessness, lack of warm and happy emotions. Not strictly true. I've seen him smile once. Just once. And maybe a bit of a laugh. We were at a bar and I was telling him about a battle I had with the Midgar Zolom that day during a training session. I was using my bottle of beer for emphasis on how the giant snake had grabbed one of the trainees and shook him up and down so fast he was a blur. When I cracked open the top, a stream of foam shot up and fell on me and I was covered in the stuff. He cracked one small, very tiny smile and let out a sound that might have been laughter. I couldn't be sure because I was trying to wipe it off myself with a napkin. I may have made a fool of myself, but I had accomplished the unattainable; to make the General smile.

People have asked me, including Aeris herself, about what I feel about him. Sometimes when I'm telling him about my family in Gonganga, I can see something in his eyes. Almost like envy, longing. He hides his emotions so well. Come to think of it, I haven't heard him mention his family once. Who were they? Perhaps they abandoned him. He seems so cold, but I believe that it's just a façade so he won't get hurt again. Or maybe the rumors are true. In that case, who can blame him? Hojo is twisted and sadistic; more than once I have heard Sephiroth express his hatred of him. I pity any living thing under his (Hojo's) power. Again, all I know about what goes on in Hojo's labs comes from rumor. If half of it is true, it's enough to turn Sephiroth bitter and cynical of humanity. Damn that Hojo. The way he looks at Sephiroth makes my skin crawl. I don't know how the President stands him or agrees to his request for funds. Even Rufus hates Hojo.

Yes, Sephiroth is cool and detached, but I still hold hope for him. In a way, yes, I have made him my personal quest. Under my influence, he may yet change. He would probably be affronted and annoyed if he ever knew this. (wry grin) Aeris supports my venture whole-heartedly 'cos, like me, she's a great, good-hearted person. They've met a few times before, and though she's on the run from the Turks ( who sometimes come over and share a toast with her when they're off duty) under orders of Hojo, he never turns her in. It's probably to spite Hojo more than anything, though it's a positive sign that he tries not to let his job interfere with his other life.

Tomorrow Sephiroth, me and a couple of guards are going to inspect the reactor at Nibelheim. Seph ( he keeps insisting that I address him properly) seems really grumpy at being sent on such a simple mission that a couple of Second-Class SOLDIERs could have handled. For some strange reason, this mission gives me a bad feeling. Maybe it was Hojo's creepy smile when the briefing was going on. It's odd; Hojo should have no reason to attend the SOLDIER briefings. Sometimes I wonder if being in my lofty position is worth it. All the intrigue and machinations wear one out terribly.

I've determined, that after the trip to Nibelheim (reminder to bring a flower home to Aeris) I'll propose to her. I've got the ring already too; with an emerald, the color of her eyes. It's hidden under my pillow at the moment, but I'm going to bring it with me. I hope that she will say yes and Seph will agree to being the best man. If not, I will DRAG him to church! Heh heh. I'll ask him after the mission. He'll probably give in. He can face Nibel dragons fearlessly, but he can't stand up to little old me! All the more proves that he regards me as a friend, or at least an acquaintance. Boy, I can't wait to see his expression when I spring the question. (Not THAT question, get your minds out of the gutter.)

"ZACHARY! STOP TYPING THAT BIOGRAPHY OF YOURS AND COME OUT NOW!"

See? He even calls me by my first name, admittedly not the shortened form, but still...

"I'm WARNING YOU, DONOVAN!!!"

Yikes. Signing off now.

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Author's Ending Note: I had to make it a biography, since Zack is now dead. (sniffs sadly) Hope you have enjoyed the first character. Any other suggestions? Obviously the Turks (not Elena, she hadn't joined yet at that time), Aeris, Rufus, a random nameless SOLDIER, Cloud himself, Gast, Ifalna...most of them are deceased, huh? Please review some more names to me. Thank you, and bye until the next post.


	2. Rufus

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, locations and so on and so forth. So don't sue me, okay?

Summary: They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis.

A Word from the Author: Whoa! Thanks for the positive reviews! Nope, no more Zack. I'm only doing one person per chapter, though that may change later on after I run out of people to write. This chapter is dedicated to Rufus.

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Sephiroth: The Chronicles

Rufus.

Everyone knew Sephiroth, or they thought they did. Mister Tall, Dark and Mysterious. He was only a little older than me, but already he was General and out on the battlefield kicking ass. When I was younger, my father made him my personal tutor in the art of swordsmanship before I discovered I liked shotguns better. He performed his job grudgingly but well, just like everything he did. At first I hated him and had the impression that he disliked me tremendously, because he was always so cold and impatient, often barking out orders as though me being the President's son meant nothing to him. In his eyes, I was practically the lowliest grunt in the army, though I must admit that my atrocious sword skills did nothing to help that disparaging image. Later on I got the chance the inspect the army and discovered that he treated everyone that way. He didn't seem to care what others thought of him. Even my father got the same treatment, but with a thin veneer of respect hiding barely veiled contempt, since he was the one who decided who stayed in and who left.

There's something about him that wants to make you stay away, and not just his attitude. It's those eyes. They've seen so much that it makes you suffer in return when you look into them. I suppose that he does feel resentment of a sort for me after all, unconsciously or not. I'm practically a spoiled rich kid, and something makes me suspect his own childhood wasn't exactly sunshine and daisies. I can't really pinpoint what makes him so far away and aloof. Maybe it's because he doesn't respect the others since they haven't gone through what he has. I've heard stories. From the very first day he stepped into the academy he's attracted trouble like fleas. He's different; not just his looks. An aura that practically radiates off him. On his first day he's been teased and ostracized. His fellows never made him feel welcome, they played practical jokes on him and taunted him. They might have thought of it as a rite of passage, but he didn't think so. Once he and a student got into a duel. Sephiroth killed him in a fit of rage and the incident was quickly hushed up by my father, since Sephiroth was his prized soldier, the perfect one. I've felt shunted aside in that area, and sometimes I hate him with an intensity that shocks me when my father seems to favor him with what I should have been given as the only son. And the worst thing is, Sephiroth doesn't appreciate it. I see him staring at my father when he isn't looking with anger and bitterness, especially when Dad is praising his work in the army. I think he despises being my father's trophy, the shiny medal he can show off when he feels like it. A prize dog chained up in a cage for admirers to ooh and ah over.

It wasn't until later when my father told me about the Jenova Project that I understood why. It was the President, my father, who had funded the project and consented to human experimentation, with the General himself as the guinea pig. Now I knew the source of the darkness in Sephiroth's eyes. I felt vaguely ashamed of my father and guilt that I felt that way. But I couldn't help it. Despite my refreshing lack of morals, I still possessed a soul in there somewhere, and what had been done to Sephiroth was nothing short of betrayal. To rip a baby from his mother at his birth…it was bad enough growing up without a mother. I should know that. And handing him over to Hojo. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about that damn egoistic, crazed little scientist. Calling him a human being would be an insult to the human race in general. He thinks he's God. The crimes he does in the name of science…he has no respect for any living things. He probably feels that animals and humans were made for the express purpose of letting him cut them up and examine them and if possible find out how to make them better.

I still have bad memories of the time I underwent my own special treatment. The Mako racing in my veins feels good, but the way it's administered is pure torture. So many potential SOLDIERs go mad after the injections and they're thrown out because they weren't strong enough to bear it. Sephiroth was stuck there half his life and had still emerged sane and alive to tell his tale. No wonder he's toughened as steel. When we complain about little things in our lives and feel so badly about it, I wonder how he feels. I would have been so bitter and condescending in his shoes. We never know how lucky we are that it's only the small matters that plague us when there's so much more pain in this world than our minds could ever have imagined.

So he's finally snapped after five long years of absence. I'm standing over my father's corpse. It's already cold and his blood is sticky to the touch. I'm trying to feel anger at my father's murderer. He killed Dad before he could tell me the words I've been longing to hear all my life. I love you. Three simple words, with the weight of the world in them. But all I can manage is sadness. I can't feel angry at Sephiroth, after how my father made him endure. Because of my father, he never had the chance to hear those three precious words either. Maybe that's why he went around the bend. In a way, my father brought his death on himself.

I'm the President now. It's such a heavy responsibility. Everyone expects me to do something about my father's murder, so I send the Turks after Sephiroth. But I know it will be no use. Sephiroth is smart and swift and deadly, and now hopelessly insane. They'll never find him unless he wants them to. I've made Hojo spill his guts about the whole Jenova Project and I'm appalled. It was worse than I thought. His words on the Reunion were the most important clue to where Sephiroth was heading. I've ordered the undercover agents in Nebelheim, the scene of the five-year-old incident, to keep an eye open for the mysterious black-clad clones and give me word on their direction.

I've found Sephiroth, but not in the way I expected. He's killed Tseng. It's a major blow, not least because Tseng has always been a loyal employee and the best Turk since Vincent Valentine. I thought it was AVALANCHE at first, but Elena has had a 'talk' with the leader and he told her the truth. He might be lying, but I'm pretty sure after my brief encounter with those bunch of tree huggers that they're honest.

Hojo's notes and my agents' reports have led me to the Northern Crater. I'm amazed as I realized that all along Sephiroth has been controlling his clones, even though he's trapped in the Lifestream. He's a smart bugger, insane or not. His eyes are closed, and I'm glad. I've never been able to look straight into his eyes. What thoughts are he thinking now? He's certainly not the capable general I once knew. Even frozen, there is a faint air of menace surrounding his still form. Then AVALANCHE stumbled upon us and Cloud docilely handed over the Black Materia and the weapon to all our deaths over to his most hated enemies. And Hojo unintentionally let slip that Cloud Strife was yet another clone. I really must have another talk with Hojo regarding that damnable project. I invited AVALANCHE along for the ride when the whole place started crashing down.

I'm in my office in Junon, and Meteor is hanging in the sky like a harbinger of doom, burning with a fiery, hellish red light that scorches the horizon. I ordered AVALANCHE executed to reassure the public. They won't help the situation anyway and I'm expending valuable manpower keeping them guarded. Unfortunately, Sapphire Weapon chose that moment to strike and they escaped in the confusion.

The Sister Ray was able to hold the beast back, and that gave me an idea. As far as anyone knew, the Weapons were still roaming about searching for threats to the Planet. I was perhaps the one of few to know what Mako truly is. Thus thinking, Midgar definitely ranks very high on their priority list. I ordered the Sister Ray dismantled and followed it to Midgar, where it was set up again. Sitting in the helicopter, I looked at Meteor, blazing like a second sun, straight out of my worst nightmares. Somehow the sight of the massive piece of rock seemed to drive everything home. This was real, not a game. There was truly a big hunk of rock from space about to fall on top of our heads. It burned brighter as we approached Midgar, and I half-fancied I could feel the heat on my skin. No doubt about it. Meteor was en route to Midgar.

No surprise there. The caster, after all, twisted and sadistic, had been tormented the most in this place, and this was the city where his worst enemies lived. Many innocents, yes, but ShinRa and its employees too. I almost marvel at the fact that, in sanity and in insanity, he still doesn't give a damn as long as he gets the job done. I glance far away, in the direction of Nibelheim, where the whole blasted story began. It's a tragedy, a long and bitter soap opera of broken hearts. But this is my city, and I'll do my damnednest to keep it that way. No silver-haired Jenova spawn is going to wrest it away from me.

No matter what.

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Author's Ending Note: And as they say, the rest is history. I deliberately skipped over a few parts that wouldn't quite fit in. I mean, this is a story about what Rufus felt about Sephiroth, right, not an entire recitation of the game from his point of view. I hope you guys enjoyed and agreed with my take on Rufus. Tried to make him spunky and with a little more feelings than he displayed in the game. As well as a touch of evil. Hopefully it worked out. Please give me positive feedback so I can improve my stories in future!

P.S. Sorry for the delay. I've just finished this story, but the blasted is down for upgrading! Argh!

28/11/04: Okay, I'm back. I actually finished this on Tuesday, but because of all the bugs I was unable to post it up until now. Happy reading.

Signing off.

Thanks to:

Cendrillo: Not just anyone can worm through Seph's tough shell. Needs to be someone super patient and super friendly. Zack's the guy.

Nebuchadnezzar: Did I spell it correctly? And thanks. Actually I had seen far too many Seph biographies on the net from his P.O.V. and I wanted to do something different. But that's a nice angle. Thanks for the names.

nutz: (frowns) At the end of the chapter, I specifically wrote that Zack was going to propose to Aeris. Now why would he do that if the story was yaoi? Besides, if you check my bio, I have a deep and unreasonable hatred of anything yaoi. But thanks for the compliment.

Dark Feruil: Yeah…I wish we could have gotten to know Zack better in the game before he kicked the bucket.

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	3. Hojo

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, locations and so on and so forth. So don't sue me, okay?

Summary: They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis.

A Word From the Author: Geez, sorry for the long wait. As you can see, I have been spending my time writing one-shots because of a drying up of ideas. I will now attempt to deliver a chapter as satisfactory as the couple that came before. Now for the creepiest guy in the world of Final Fantasy VII…no, not Vincent. May I present Professor Hojo! This chapter is dedicated to all Hojo haters out there.

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Hojo.

Sephiroth? He is my greatest achievement, my prized subject. It does not bother me as it would those of weaker hearts that he is my own son. Why should it? He should have been grateful to me, but he wasn't. Who contributed to the factors that made him among the elite? Who pulled strings so that he could enter the military? I did. I gave him his strength, his powers, and played a crucial part in his mental development to ensure that he would become the perfect warrior President Shinra dreamed of. Because of me he has been declared General.

But he hates me. I can see it in his eyes. He has no idea of his true parentage, of course…I have taken delight in informing him that his mother is Jenova, the Crisis from the Skies, which is true, technically. And what a noble heritage it is, much better than the legacy given to him by the weak human woman who birthed him. Jenova is a true Ancient, a Cetra, one of the long-dead stewards of the Planet, and with her cells, Sephiroth has inherited the powers of the Cetra. Lucrecia? Sometimes she brings a small pang to my heart, but it is suppressed swiftly. She has served her purpose, no more. Oh yes, she is certainly intellectual, and attractive, but she cannot hold a candle to Jenova, my beautiful Jenova.

I cannot understand why Sephiroth would hate me. I have given him a gift, after all. Looks, power, position, near immortality, healing abilities…the ungrateful brat. And of the events I have anticipated come to pass, he may even become God! Is it because of your childhood, General? The injections of Mako and Jenova cells, the torture to see how far you could withstand pain, the exercises? I seem to recall that you were screaming and pleading…it is a little vague. I was too excited by the readings of my instruments during those times.

But the point is, my dear misguided son, that these trials have made you strong, have they not? Because you have suffered pain, what your enemies can do to you pales by comparison. Because you have learnt to hold under pressure, you cannot break. Because pain has been dealt to you, willingly, freely, you suffer no qualms in distributing your share of agony out to those who would stand against you. In the harsh world you live in, General, the smallest figment of mercy could mean your death. Mercy and kindness, compassion and love, these are only illusions. They will not last. But what I have given you, dear boy, will remain forever for the long years of your life. Yes, you may hate me, but also remember that without me you would be some lowly street rat scraping out a living in the underground sector.

I am baffled why he does not seem to appreciate this truth. No one sees it in him, but I can. Our bond as father and son is twisted, but still strong. He is suicidal; I have posted spies in the military that report as much. There are times when he takes poison and passes out, close to death; cutting himself in fits of rage…but always healing. After close observation, I have surmised that he is actually upset that he does not hurt as humans do and is trying to see how far he can push himself over the edge without dropping. Another likely possibility is that the subject is attempting to kill himself, but chances are roughly about twenty-three percent. I will continue to monitor him.

Recently I have become obsessed with the results of cross-species mating. Sephiroth is the artificial product of an Ancient and a human. What will happen if he engages in sexual activity with another member of the Ancients? I have knowledge of an Ancient living somewhere in the slums who escaped me years before, though her mother did not. She is only half-Cetra, but suitable for my intentions. The Turks have been dispatched to locate and apprehend her alive, but thus far there has been no success. It may be the product of an overly suspicious imagination, but the Turks appear strangely lax in the search for the Cetra. I must speak to the President about this.

Sephiroth does seem uninterested in women, despite the many members of the female race who throw themselves at his feet daily. He is focused on his work only, and has no time for a romance. Even so I find myself concerned about his preferences. As far as I know he is still a virgin. It is unhealthy for a full-blooded, excellent male specimen like him. In the past I have hired women actors to lure him to the bedroom, but he intimidated most of them and ignored the rest. He has not been seen alone with any female, and the only relationship he maintains outside of work is a dark-haired male SOLDIER whom appears to be a friend.

I was considerably distressed by the news. Not only does it have the potential to affect the results of any mating I may attempt in the near future, it is unseemly for a man like him to have friends. Friendship encourages the weaknesses I have worked hard to prevent from being instilled into Sephiroth's personality and may influence his future as a warrior. Perhaps I shall arrange for an 'accident' to take care of the SOLDIER…from the files I have taken he is Zack Donovan of Gonganga, twenty-three years old, around Sephiroth's age. It will teach the dear boy a lesson, and make him colder and harder than before. The epitome of perfection.

Success! The president has granted clearance for the Nibelheim mission. Sephiroth is in charge, and with him is Donovan and a couple of guards. The clues I have planted will lead him to where I wish him to go…the library beneath the ShinRa mansion where unknown to him he was shaped into what he is today. Everything has been set into motion, and I will be remembered, unlike the pathetic Gast who did not have the gumption to finish what he started. It will be the fulfillment of everything I have worked for since the birth of my son, and when the time comes I will reveal to him that I am his father. And then when he is immortal and has achieved godhood I shall rule at his side, and damn the ShinRa corporation.

The briefing is over; the SOLDIERs file out one by one. Sephiroth is last. He looks at me, and other than faint puzzlement there is the ever lurking hate, darkening his eyes and poisoning his thoughts. I smile, and he turns away in disgust, showing me his back. I continue to smile, my eyes boring into the skull. Soon enough, dear boy, you'll thank me for what I have done. For you.

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Author's Ending Note: Ugh! I hated writing Hojo, but at the same time it is easy and nice to write such a twisted line of thought out. I hope you feel that this account is realistic and describes Hojo like you think it should. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and bye to all you cool readers until next chapter.

T. Axile signing out

Thanks to:

Cendrillo: I really felt so sad when Rufus died in the Shinra building even though he was such a jerk when we first met him. But later on in Junon he seemed okay and he was really trying hard to restore order. Maybe it was mean to execute Tifa, but he was just trying to do something.

ffwarrioress: Me too. I loved writing Zack. Nice guy, huh? I might just write a lone story starring him as the main character one day. (Files it into mind.)

emerald drake: Glad to know everyone feels that way! I love all you guys for your great reviews…you have no idea how much they boost up my confidence!

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	4. Aeris

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, locations and so on and so forth. So don't sue me, okay?

Summary: They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis.

A Word From The Author: 16/2/05…I'm glad to say that I'm back to everyone who has missed me. In case you haven't noticed, TIAL has been updated with a new chapter, marking my return to the world of Note: Chapter Five of the Chronicles will be the last, because I want to concentrate fully on TIAL, though I may open the Chronicles again after I finish writing it, if ever. And now for what you came here for, the story. For all you Aeris believers out there.

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Aeris.

When I was young, my mother told me about the Crisis From The Skies. I might have thought it was only a bedtime story, but from an early age I had already known of what I must grow up to do; what the elders have foreseen. It was a cruel fate for me, to know when, where and how I would die for the lives of those who could not care less, but I tried to put it aside and live life to the fullest.

When my mother and I were captured and forced to live in Hojo's laboratory to be examined like common animals, I met a boy. He was a little older than me, but I was lonely in a place populated by adults who looked right through you, so we talked. I think he was lonely too, and sometimes he turned up looking as though he had just cried. The odd thing was, it was almost as though we were encouraged to interact. When Hojo first found us together, he was positively delighted, I think. He kept laughing and rubbing his hands in a manner that sickened me. The incident spoiled our fun, and soon after there was a cool reserve between both of us. He never told me his name, come to think of it. I asked, but he always steered the topic away.

Then Mother was already sick. I could tell from her deathly pallor and her fainting fits. I had more freedom than her, now that I look back it was probably because she was a true Cetra, while I was only a halfblood. She talked me to me as though she was going to die, and I, naïve child that I was, tried to pretend it was just like the games of make-believe we played together in happier times. I don't know why I never told her about the boy. I had other things on my mind…

One day he was walking unaccompanied down the corridor, which was quite unusual, since most of the time he was confined to a cell. He was happy, he told me that finally he knew his mother's name. I was stunned and started to ask more questions, but then Mother returned to her cell. She screamed, looking straight at him. Called him devil spawn. He fled…I never said goodbye to him.

That night, my mother seemed different. Revitalized. She looked so different, full of power, but so translucent it seemed that the energy inside her was just straining to burst out. She hugged me and told me that she would protect me as long as she could, that she loved me. Somehow, I knew that she would be leaving me soon. We cried, mother and daughter combined. I had never loved her so much before. She blasted open the cell doors with the sheer force of her willpower. Alarms flared, lights spun. She held me in her arms, sheltering me as the bullets started flying. To this day I had no idea how she got so far. I huddled in her warm embrace throughout the entire nightmarish journey, and I never got scratched once. She, on the other hand…

So much blood, I wonder how she was still breathing. With her dying strength, she kissed me on the cheek, and I cried over her corpse. I was still asking her to come back when Elmyra, the woman I would come to love as a foster mother, carried me away, speaking in soothing tones.

Years passed. I planted flowers, trying to bring some color to the dreary, gray world that was Midgar, but I never forgot what I had to do. Sometimes I questioned, but the lulling song of the Planet soon swept it away. I could not be selfish, not after my mother's sacrifice…she died for me, so I could die for the world…

Then Zack came into my life. Roguish, funny, laughing Zack, sweeping me off my feet with his flowers and words of love. It was then I came to meet General Sephiroth, his superior. I had seen him on posters before, of course, but seeing him in person…how could I have forgotten? The sad-eyed boy from the underground laboratory, the black-clad demon from the dream that had haunted my sleep since my mother's death. It was him, friend and foe, but looking at him, so different from both, I doubted my senses, my inner intuition. Brilliant, successful, hard-eyed, he was not the little boy I still missed, but he, self-possessed and despite his cruel streak, was in no way the dark angel who would become a killer of innocents.

And Zack spoke of his general in such glowing terms, and seeing the spark of mutual friendship on both sides, I doubted. If a man could inspire a virtue like friendship in a frank, honest soul like Zack's, how could he become the demon in my vision?

I don't think he remembered me. When he looked at me, there was no recognition. I was not surprised, I hardly remembered him myself. And from what I recalled from my childhood, with him covered with bruises and tears, his own past was something he was not in a hurry to recall on a regular basis. His pain was still there, I was certain, hidden behind the mask he presented to the rest of the world, forged of the agony he had gone through. I was sure he could be redeemed, that there was good in him. How could I forget the times we had told each other our deepest secrets, two lonely children empathizing with each other long ago. And he sheltered me from Hojo; I often accompanied the two as Zack's date, but he always kept his lips sealed. He hated Hojo; it was almost frightening to see the way his eyes burned when speaking of him. So in a way, he still remembered…how many scars were there, concealed by his shiny medals and parade uniform? I suppose I did it for a selfish reason too; so I would not have to die.

The mission at Nibelheim changed things forever. Zack was worried about it, though he tried to joke it off. He never returned, and I thought he had left me. But what concerned me was Sephiroth's disappearance too. Who wouldn't worry about the vanishing of someone fated to kill you? The thought that he was somewhere out there, stalking his prey…ShinRa tried to hush it up, but the whispers spread…people were starting to wonder.

When Cloud came, I knew I would never return to Midgar when I agreed to travel with him. But that was the way it should be. I traveled with AVALANCHE, fought monsters, made friends with them, but my happiness was poisoned with the knowledge of my impending death. After leaving the Forgotten Temple. I traveled on my own to the City of the Ancients. I could sense Jenova's taint in the air; she was, of course, the ancient enemy of my ancestors. By this, I knew…

That he was waiting for me.

It was time. The city of my people, to become my final resting place. I had come to terms with my passing. It would herald a new age for the children of the Planet, and for it I would be welcomed in honor and pride into the Promised Land, as a savior, a martyr. I knew Cloud would see to it I was remembered. I could feel my mother's pride and love blessing me, the sweet gratitude and remorse of the Planet as its eternal song twined around me. The best gift a Cetra halfblood like me to attain. I knelt down and began to pray, feeling my soul entwining with that of Holy. I gave myself freely, and looking up, saw that I had received a greater gift, to have my friends be present at my death.

Don't mourn for me…I'm coming home!

I smiled, and then Sephiroth landed behind me, the Masamune burying itself through my stomach. By then I was already so deep into the sentience of Holy that I barely felt any pain at all. Myriad images flashed though my mind: Mother singing me to sleep, of the grief Elmyra would feel, Zack, AVALANCHE, but most of all the soulful, sorrowful eyes of the boy who comforted me even as I soothed him.

I forgive you, I thought to my murderer, my old friend, and my soul sprang free from my collapsing shell.

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Author's Ending Note: I hope you liked the Aeris characterization, along with the other more AU parts in which I invented Aeris' friendship with Sephiroth when they were kids, I mean, I figured it was quite likely, and other authors had done it too! So it went in. Anyway, thanks for the reviews, everyone, and stay tuned for the final installment of the Chronicles.

T. Axile signing off

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Thanks to:

Cosmo Memory, for being the first to review the chapter when I thought no one would, and your support.

KokoroHikaru: Rufus! The close up of him just before he died made me really feel for him, like he was kind of angry and determined at the same time, maybe you feel differently? And yeah, I've seen Zack (huggles)

Evil Mina: Glad to hear I've succeeded in the creepy department. The last chapter only made me hate Hojo more than ever…(whacks Hojo over the head with a hit iron) take that, you nasty little rat-faced bigot!

Daryl Falchion: Well, I hope this chapter has lived up to your expectations like the others. Personally, I feel that the beginning of the chapter doesn't quite give Aeris justice, but I don't know how to change it…what d'ya think?

lunafrak: Thanks for reviewing all three chaps at one go. Can I join in the Hojo torture?

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	5. Cloud

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, the characters, locations and so on and so forth. So don't sue me, okay?

Summary: They all hailed him as a hero. The youngest ever to make it to the post of General and the most brilliant. But who was the man really? From the eyes of those who knew him before the crisis.

A Word From The Author: 28/2/05…Lo, I'm back again to finish what I started. It's time to say goodbye to the Chronicles, though I may continue it after TIAL. Presenting to you, folks, the fifth and final installment, starring…(drumroll is heard in the distance) a spiky-haired someone…yup, it's Cloud Strife, and non yaoi, okay? The thought of such a relationship traumatizes me…no offense to yaoi-friendly people. You're entitled to your opinions. Dedicated to Cloud-lovers who are reading this. I myself think he's okay. Not so likable (he killed Sephy!) but not so hatred-inspiring either. Ahhh well, just read it.

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Cloud.

In the heart of the Northern Crater I stare into Sephiroth's eyes. His smile, mocking, derisive, his glowing green orbs a window for the female devil sprung forth from a dormant seed in his mind. Seeing him here, inches away, brings back a torrent of memories…

…Sephiroth. When I was young he was my idol. I looked up to him; I even dreamt of becoming him. Keeping in mind the twisted monster I now face, the very thought now sickens me and fills me with a mixture of revulsion and pity, but that was how it was. Growing up, a virtual, unwanted nobody in Nibelheim, all I can say was that I wanted to be somebody. I wanted my peers to respect me, recognize the worth and potential I just _knew_ was inside me. Sounds kinda egoistic, huh, but that was the kid, a sadly immature kid, I used to be.

So, I signed up for SOLDIER, full of hope and expectations, and they were all crushed when I was told with brutal honesty that I just wasn't strong enough. But I still hung around as an MP, because there was no way I was going to slink back to Nibelheim after boasting shamelessly to everyone of what a mighty warrior I was going to become. That was when I met Sephiroth…the General. Even now I still feel a hint of my childish admiration whenever I think of him. The mere sight of him forcibly humbled me, and I found myself wondering how I could have possibly entertained thoughts of hoping to be someone as worthy as him. He was at the peak of his career then, an enigma wrapped in a cloak of power and mystery, and everyone wanted to touch it and worship it. He was ShinRa's symbol, a representative of the power they wielded. Half the SOLDIERs, even some of the veteran ones, would tell you readily that part of the reason they had joined in the first place was because of their General.

Funny. Even though Sephiroth no longer has any claim to that title, I can't help calling him that. It goes together with his name. General Sephiroth…it just bespeaks his military might and his own political influence so well.

I was in awe. Who wouldn't be, who had seen him fight? I loved the allure of the mystery he presented; we were all drawn to him, too blinded by his aura to see the man beneath until it was too late. Think about it. The General is…was…a man known for his iron control, he couldn't just have broken down at once in Nibelheim just like that. No…how long had he been corroding from the inside, plagued by self-doubt and questions with no answers? How long had he suffered in silence while around him his admirers gathered in flocks, unseeing, and unhearing, his mental screams of anguish?

Tifa doesn't think like that, I know. She hates Sephiroth with a passion so deep it has blinded her. True, the General isn't perfect, I know that now. But he doesn't deserve to be hated like this either. He had a lot of problems…I might have thought like Tifa too, but I suspect the sliver of Zack lodged in my consciousness has had a lot of say in my feelings towards Sephiroth. Sometimes, when I feel tired, or just drifting off to sleep, I recall flashes of memories that aren't mine, a scrap of conversation, a precious smile, exchanged between two close friends, flashes of color and places I've never been yet know so well. The stories that Zack had told me that fateful day in the yellow pickup deep in some dusty level of my brain, half-forgotten, yet so powerfully remembered, that never fails to inspire both sadness and horror within me whenever the ill-fated General comes to mind…

And the last, terrible look in Sephiroth's eyes as I stab him through the heart in a powerful stroke. An expression of dark, alien rage distorts the familiar features, boiling the marrow within my bones. I quail involuntarily, then his features slack, the peace he had never enjoyed in life now etched on his face in death. With his blood spattered on my hands, I can't resist steeping forward, Zack rising to the fore in a surge of powerful emotion. I sigh softly, a sigh constructed of half-remembered dreams and vague, foreign memories, "Seph…"

He smiles. It sends relief singing through my veins. He is back! He mouths, "Zack," in silent reply. As I drop my sword and hold my hands out towards him in a final, valiant gesture, he disintegrates, scattering into red particles that race across the black eternity of the dream world…

They rise, into the sky, shining with a clear, silver light that burns my eyelids and awes me with its beauty…they look like stars…

Then they _are_ stars, and Tifa is grabbing my hand, her wine-red eyes steady and reassuring, pulling me to safety as the world explodes around me. I find it within my heart to say goodbye to the grave of my worst enemy…my friend…

Goodbye.

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Author's Ending Note: AND IT IS COMPLETE! YES! Sorry, I know Cloud's chapter is a bit short, but I hope you find it satisfactory, characterization, plot accuracy, everything. I thought Cloud was a bit OOC during this…? Because during the game he seemed to me a down-to-earth, frank speaking sort of guy, not the type who spouts out all the poetic rubbish my Cloud is. Ah, you, as readers, have the final say. Review, please?

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Thanks to:

meowwl: Indeed. Have you posted this story anywhere else in the net? I checked your profile, and it's empty. Or are you going to polish it up first before posting it? As for your OC, I would give him full steam ahead and the green light! Down with Hojo! Yeah! As for Rufus, no, I didn't know that, thanks for telling me. I thought when Kadaj called him 'The President', it was just a title.

Chibi Taryn Demon: Same for your story, Reflect The Sky…when are you going to update? I can't wait for the next chapter when Cloud and Sephiroth meet face to face again! And the old team…and how did you-know-who get in the Promised Land!

lunafrak: Yeah, her sacrifice is one of the Great Moments of FFVII, it really made an enormous impact. I doubt there would be so many Aeris fans if she hadn't died. I mean, her death gave life, didn't it…? Just like she did when she was alive…it really underscored Aeris' generous and unselfish nature so poignantly.

Cendrillo: I always had mixed feelings about Rufus. When you first meet him in the game, you get a pretty impressive, though blurry, image of him standing there, so damn cool in his white coat. Then he took charge in the Northern Crater when the Weapons awoke…and promptly sentenced Tifa to death. Former, good, latter, boo. Well…I guess this makes you ask yourself how you can like a guy who conjured up a massive meteor to destroy an entire Planet? In comparison, Rufus is practically a martyr. And as for your feelings on Hojo…okay, I'll give him this, he's definitely brilliant, the very epitome of a scientist in the fact that he has managed to suppress his feelings so they don't stop him from reaching his true potential. But that's all the praise I'll allow. I still think he's a cold bastard.

Nebuchadnezzar: I'm proud of me too. Great minds think alike, no:)

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